Infinitely Losing My Edge
Yeah, I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids from Guyana and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids whose footsteps I hear when they get on the decks.
I'm losing my edge to the internet seekers who can tell me every member of every good group from 1962 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan kids in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered nineties.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
I can hear the footsteps every night on the decks.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart started up his first band.
I told him, "Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime."
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Aaron Thompson to the grunge kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.
I'm losing my edge.
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody.
Every great song by Tim Buckley. All the underground hits.
All Anthony Braxton tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every the Sonics record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Minutemen record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Spandau Ballet,
Ultra Naté,
Minny Pops,
the Sonics,
Minutemen,
Drive Like Jehu,
Deakin,
Cheater Slicks,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Lalann,
Japan,
Prince Buster,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Sex Pistols,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Terry Callier,
The Index,
Rotary Connection,
Chris & Cosey,
The Skatalites,
Isaac Hayes,
Wasted Youth,
Bad Manners,
Schoolly D,
Sparks,
Pylon,
Q65,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Avey Tare,
Charles Mingus,
Mission of Burma,
T. Rex,
Bush Tetras,
Tim Buckley,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Nils Olav,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
the Bar-Kays,
OOIOO,
Television Personalities,
Lightning Bolt,
Soulsonic Force,
Second Layer,
Can,
Theoretical Girls,
Hashim,
Pet Shop Boys,
10cc,
Oblivians,
Massinfluence,
Max Romeo,
Bizarre Inc.,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Vogues,
Young Marble Giants,
Bang On A Can,
Gastr Del Sol,
Ronan,
Althea and Donna,
Radio Birdman,
Sixth Finger,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Harry Pussy, Harry Pussy, Harry Pussy, Harry Pussy.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.